


Bald is Beautiful

by OhanaHoku



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Avengers Family, Bald is Beautiful, Body Positivity, Bucky Barnes Feels, Bucky Barnes Has Issues, Bucky Barnes Recovering, Coping, Epic Friendship, Family Feels, Friendship, Gen, Hair Positivity, Haircuts, Healing, Hurt/Comfort, Insecure Bucky Barnes, Male Friendship, Male-Female Friendship, One Shot, Short & Sweet, Supportive Avengers, Team as Family, Trauma Recovery, healing process, supportive friends
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-26
Updated: 2021-01-26
Packaged: 2021-03-12 07:40:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,615
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29006943
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OhanaHoku/pseuds/OhanaHoku
Summary: In which Bucky gets all the love and support and encouragement he needs from his family of Avengers.
Relationships: Bruce Banner & James "Bucky" Barnes, Clint Barton & Sam Wilson, James "Bucky" Barnes & Avengers Team, James "Bucky" Barnes & Clint Barton, James "Bucky" Barnes & Natasha Romanov, James "Bucky" Barnes & Peter Parker, James "Bucky" Barnes & Sam Wilson, James "Bucky" Barnes & Steve Rogers, James "Bucky" Barnes & Thor, James "Bucky" Barnes & Tony Stark, Peter Parker & Tony Stark
Comments: 4
Kudos: 39





	Bald is Beautiful

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this yesterday for the sole purpose of working through some writer's block, so it's not super polished. But I actually really like it, because it's sweet, so enjoy!

“Earth to Bucky. You alive in there, Buckaroo?” Tony asked, quirking an eyebrow at the reformed Winter Soldier as he startled out of his thoughts.

“Sorry, what was that?” He asked, looking over at Tony and taking the drink held out to him.

“Just noticed you were zoned out. You’ve been doing that a lot lately.” He observed. “You got something on your mind?” He asked, glancing in the direction Bucky had been staring over at Vision.

“No, it’s nothing,” Bucky murmured, ducking his head, unable to hold back a small flinch as his hair fell into his face.

The observant genius caught the tiny movement and tilted his head. “You know, Buck, if you want a hair cut, I can arrange that.” He said, and the man looked over at sharply. “There’s no need for it to be in your face all the time, and we could cut it in your old forties style.”

Bucky’s eyes dropped again at the last part of that sentence, the super-soldier rubbing his metal thumb gently around the rim of his glass. “I don’t know, Tony.” He mumbled.

“Come on, Buck. It’s your hair, right? You can do what you want with it.” Tony said softly. It was still hard sometimes for Bucky to remember that he could make even a simple decision like this on how he wanted to live his life. “Besides, what’s in a haircut?”

Bucky tensed at the question, growling out an answer before he could stop himself. “This haircut belonged to the Winter Soldier. To HYDRA.” He spat, placing his glass down so it wouldn’t break as he clenched his fists.

“Okay,” Tony said after a moment. “And the short cut?” He asked quietly.

A shaky exhale preceded the answer. “That was the old Bucky’s hair cut.” He whispered. “I’m not- I’m not him. Not anymore.”

Tony’s expression fell a bit at the despondent tone of his voice. His gaze drifted back towards Vision when understanding dawned on him. “What about… no hair?” He asked tentatively. “Like Vision.”

Bucky inhaled sharply, and Tony knew he’d hit the nail right on the head. Until Bucky deflated and shook his head, his hair falling into his face again as he looked down at his hands. “I don’t want people looking at me like that and- and-” He fell silent abruptly, and Tony tilted his head at him a little.

Everyone in the tower knew that Bucky was insecure about the way he looked, the way his metal hand stood out. But Tony had never realized how deep that insecurity went.

He hummed softly and gently patted Bucky’s knee. “Well, Buckaroo, if you change your mind, let me know.” He said simply, and the conversation ended there.

)(

The next morning as Bucky sat at the kitchen table with Steve, Natasha, and Bruce, laughter exploded suddenly from the living room. The four of them exchanged a glance before Clint called out to them, Sam still laughing in the background. “Guys, get in here! You’ve gotta see this!”

As they entered the living room, Clint requested FRIDAY to back up the video feed. The archer pulled Natasha down onto the couch, and Steve dropped onto the loveseat next to Sam while Bruce chose an armchair. Bucky perched on the arm of the sofa as the video started again, a dark-skinned woman grinning at the camera.

“In an interview today, Tony Stark shocked millions across the world and caused quite the uproar in the studio as he met with the host of People Across the Globe. Let’s see the video.”

The tower exploded with laughter then, Steve choking on his coffee, as the video showed Tony sitting in a plush chair, conversing with the woman interviewing him. Clint and Sam were cackling again, Sam pounding Steve on the back as he spluttered, and Natasha and Bruce both unable to hold back the large grins on their faces.

But Bucky wasn’t laughing. No, the soldier was simply staring at the screen, his eyes wide.

_ Tony _ was  _ bald _ .

“So, Tony. Why don’t you tell us why you made the sudden decision to shave your head?” The woman asked, and Tony smiled.

“Because bald is beautiful,” Tony stated, and Bucky’s chest grew tight. “And anyone who disagrees is wrong.”   
  
The billionaire turned to look directly at the camera, and Bucky knew, he just knew that Tony was talking to him. “You should be able to wear your hair the way you want without judgement. And whether that means long hair, or short hair, or no hair at all, it doesn’t matter. Because you are beautiful. You are amazing, and a haircut doesn’t change who you are. In fact, wearing your hair the way you want only brings out how amazing you are. Long hair? Beautiful. Short hair? Gorgeous. No hair?” Tony grinned. “Well, you could look as stunning as me.”

The interviewer laughed and took control of the interview again while Tony’s words tumbled around in Bucky’s head.

_ Bald is beautiful. _

)(

Despite the video, though, Bucky still had his long hair a few days later when Natasha walked into the living room for the team’s movie night, and everyone stared in shock, Bucky’s hand nearly cracking the glass in his hand as Clint’s jaw dropped open.

Natasha had shaved her head.

The Black Widow simply raised an eyebrow at their reaction and moved over to the loveseat where Tony was sitting, the genius grinning at her as she sat down.

Bucky stared dumbly at them before getting up to dispose of the glass that had, in fact, cracked.

)(

A couple of days later, after a battle, Natasha was stopped by a reporter. “Please, Black Widow, any comments on why you shaved your head?”

The Black Widow, who would normally refuse to talk to the press, glanced back at Bucky, or maybe at Clint, who was standing next to Bucky, before answering. “To prove that women don’t have to conform to society’s standards of beauty. A woman does not need long hair to be fierce or brave. I say be bold, be bald!” She stated before turning on her heel and walking away from the reporters.

Next to him, Clint cheered Natasha on, and Bucky replayed her words in his head.

_ Be bold, be bald. _

)(

Clint was the next person to shave his head, and Bucky’s brow knitted together when the archer walked into the kitchen.

“Why did you shave your head?” Bucky asked, and he didn’t care that he might have sounded a little rude because this was Clint and because his teammates all suddenly deciding to go bald may have been making him a little uneasy. He wasn’t sure if Tony had told them of their conversation, or if it was just all a big coincidence, but it made him a bit anxious not knowing where they all stood.

But Clint didn’t take offense. The archer just sighed as he sank into the chair next to Bucky. “Wasn’t my idea.” He complained. “Got a bunch of it snagged on something during a mission last night, so it was either this or looking like a five-year-old was my stylist.”

Bucky just kept staring at him as Clint dragged over the box of powdered donuts on the table to him. He took a bite of one and shrugged as he chewed. “Eh, not a big deal. Sometimes hair just gets in the way.”

“Dude, closed mouth while chewing, please!” Sam exclaimed as he walked over to the coffee pot. “I do not need to see the grotesque amount of food you can fit in your mouth this early in the morning. Or ever.”

The friendly bickering went on while Bucky stared at Clint. Despite Clint’s talents as a spy, Bucky knew he was lying, having heard the telltale skip of his heartbeat.

Yet, in this instance, he didn’t seem to mind because what Clint said was true of Bucky’s hair as well.

_ Sometimes hair just gets in the way. _

)(

It almost didn’t surprise Bucky when yet another teammate made the decision to go bald, except that it was  _ Steve _ , and Bucky never thought Steve would shave his head.

But he did, and he grinned so brightly at the team when he came out of his room that day that Bucky worried he’d hurt himself.

Like with Tony, he learned the why through an interview Steve was in a couple days later. “My decision to go bald was partially based on the actions of my teammates.” He admitted. “At least, they gave me the courage to do it.” He said, blushing faintly. “Space aliens don’t faze me, but surprisingly putting a razor to my head does, or did.” He stated, and the man interviewing him laughed.

“You said it was only partially because of your teammates, though. So what was the other reason?” He asked.

Steve’s smile took on a softer edge then. “It actually stemmed from my visit a couple months ago to the children’s hospital. I met these two kids there, Maizie and Jax. Maizie is six, and Jax is fifteen. They’ve both been going through chemo and lost their hair because of it. But I’ve never seen two braver people than those kids. They’re fighting a battle worse than anything I’ve ever had to go through, and they’re still smiling.” He said, his eyes warm, even though they were slightly sad. “Maizie even came right up to me and sat down in my lap as she pulled her scarf off to show me that her hair was gone. And she was so proud of it, and Jax said something when I got to talk to him that has stuck with me since that day.

“He said, ‘You were sick, and your treatment made you strong. I’m sick now, and my treatment makes me feel even worse most days. But I’m still alive, and I’m still going to chemo.’ And then he said. ‘And someday I’m going to be just as strong as you are.’ And I just thought, you already are.” Steve said, smiling as the interviewer dabbed discretely at his eyes.

“So, that’s why, when Tony and the others shaved their heads, I thought I’d do it too. As a tribute to everyone that has gone through, or is going through battles that I’ve never had to deal with. Because those people are the bravest people I know. They’re my heroes.” Steve stated simply before turning to look into the camera for a moment and smiling, and Bucky gasped softly from where he was lying in bed watching the interview on his phone.

Those words- they were meant for him. He knew it. Steve had said multiple times that he admired Bucky for surviving through the things he did, for fighting a battle that Steve had never had to.

_ Because those people are the bravest people I know. They’re my heroes. _

)(

Bruce was the next person to shave his head, and Bucky was no longer surprised. Still, he had to ask why.

The scientist smiled, looking surprisingly more peaceful than Bucky had ever seen him. “Sometimes, it’s just nice to feel like you’re in control, you know?”

And Bucky had nodded silently as the scientist left, wondering if he’d feel at peace like Bruce if he shaved his head.

_ Sometimes, it’s just nice to feel like you’re in control. _

)(

The next person to go bald was surprising, simply because it wasn’t someone who actually lived in the tower. Bucky stared at the young spider kid that Tony had taken under his wing, the kid grinning as he always was and only grinning wider at Bucky’s stare. “Hey, Bucky! Do you like my new haircut?”

“Uh,” Bucky nodded dumbly. “Yeah, looks nice.” He said awkwardly, the teen not seeming to notice how much he’d surprised him.

“Yeah, a bunch of us at my school are organizing this parade slash festival thing for Bald is Beautiful.” He said, looking excited as he dug out a pamphlet and shoved it at Bucky. “Half the kids in my school have already signed up, and it’s going to be awesome! I hope you can come.” He told him before Tony swooped in and dragged Peter down to the lab.

And Bucky looked down on the pamphlet in his hands. Photos of bald people, men, women, boys, and girls, decorated the front, and the tagline across the top read, ‘Be proud of who you are.’

Was he proud of who he was? He wasn’t a pawn for HYDRA anymore, but he also wasn’t the same man he used to be before that. Could he be proud of who he was now? He tucked the pamphlet into his pocket, mulling over the words.

_ Be proud of who you are. _

)(

“Come on, Sam. Join us.” Clint said, teasingly drawing out the words as he pulled at Sam’s arm. “Join the bald side!”

Bucky snorted softly. He got that reference. But Sam simply tossed a marshmallow at Clint’s head. “You do what you want, and I’ll do what I want, now get off me.”

And later that night, Sam’s words bounced around in his head.

_ You do what you want. _

)(

Coming to his decision wasn’t easy, but when Bucky finally made up his mind, he went to Tony because he didn’t trust the way his own hands were shaking, and Tony always had the steadiest hands when he worked on Bucky’s arm.

“I want you to shave my head!” He blurted out, and the genius had only blinked before grinning brightly at him.

Ten minutes later, and Bucky was sitting in Tony’s bathroom, his eyes closed as he felt his hair fall off around him, Tony’s razor buzzing away.

He was stiff, but with each strand of hair that fell, Bucky felt as though he was getting lighter. By the time Tony was done, Bucky was no longer tense, his shoulders slumped peacefully as Tony urged him up to look in the mirror.

There, standing in the mirror looking back at him, was Bucky. Not the Winter Soldier, not Sergeant James Buchanan Barnes, just Bucky.

And for the first time in years, Bucky smiled at himself in the mirror.

)(

Of course, everyone in the tower was supportive of Bucky’s decision, even though he had to endure some light-hearted teasing from Clint about joining the bald side, plus the crushing hug that Steve had pulled him into. (He may not have minded it that much, though, because he was hugging back just as tight.)

)(

Peter’s eyes may just about have popped out of his head when he saw Bucky at the festival that weekend, and when the kid dragged him over to meet several of his likewise bald friends, Bucky had smiled that smile again, missing the thumbs up that Tony gave Peter behind his back.

)(

And just a week later, Thor arrived with a clash of thunder, coming in from the balcony and greeting them all enthusiastically. Naturally, he inquired about their hair, and everyone started clamoring that Thor should go bald with them.

Then Clint made a remark about how Jane would leave him if Thor didn’t have his glorious mane, and the god only blasted a laugh as he slung an arm around Clint’s shoulders.

“My friend, with the body of a god, who needs hair?” He asked, and everyone in the tower cracked up, Tony and Sam tossing popcorn at the God of Thunder as he flexed his muscles for show.

And Bucky’s smile, which had been appearing more and more frequently as of late, grew into a grin, and then with a sound loud enough to rival Thor, he threw his head back and laughed.

**Author's Note:**

> Word Count - 2615. Body positivity, y'all! It's important!!! So is hair positivity. Not sure if that falls under body positivity exactly, but hair changes your appearance, so I think it counts. Personally, my hair is long, and I love it that way, but no matter how you style your hair, or how long/short/existent it is, you are beautiful and I am proud of you for wearing your hair the way YOU like it! <3 That's the message I wanted to convey, so there you go.
> 
> I got this idea from some article/tumblr post(?) that I read a while back about how cutting your hair after a traumatic experience can be very healing/soothing, so that's where the inspiration came from. Also, while writing this, I had the urge to look up, Bald Avengers, and I was not disappointed, so here's some links for you. :D [The Guys](https://tipsmake.com/incredibly-beautiful-boys-from-avengers-from-thor-captain-to-iron-man-to-bald-still-look-very-attractive), [Natasha](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/7c/2d/ec/7c2decad1636ff7f42c732814790601d.jpg). 
> 
> I post fic recommendations on Thursdays, so check out my [tumblr](https://ohanahoku-ao3.tumblr.com/) if you want some extra reading material! <3


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